Spanish boats strayed into Gibraltar's water 600 times over last 18 months

The busiest month was August last year, when 68 Spanish vessels entered
British Gibraltar waters at an average rate of more than two a day

Europe Minister David Lidington said the activities of the Spanish state research ship and its accompanying Guardia Civil vessel had not only been ''unlawful'' but were also dangerousPhoto: ALAMY

2:29PM BST 11 Apr 2014

Spanish government vessels have unlawfully entered British territorial waters around Gibraltar more than 600 times since the start of 2013, according to official figures.

There were 496 incursions in 2013 and 112 in the first three months of 2014, the figures disclosed by Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed.

The busiest month for incursions was August last year, when 68 Spanish vessels entered British Gibraltar waters at an average rate of more than two a day.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: ''The Royal Navy challenges Guardia Civil and other Spanish state vessels whenever they make unlawful maritime incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters.

''We back this up by making formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish Government about all unlawful incursions. Our challenges and protests make clear that such incursions are an unacceptable violation of British sovereignty.

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''We are confident of UK sovereignty over British Gibraltar territorial waters under international law. We make our position clear to the Spanish Government whenever appropriate and we will continue to uphold British sovereignty and use a range of proportionate naval, police and diplomatic responses to incidents

The Spanish Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office earlier this month after an incursion resulted in a collision with a Royal Gibraltar Police vessel.

Europe Minister David Lidington said the activities of the Spanish state research ship and its accompanying Guardia Civil vessel had not only been ''unlawful'' but were also dangerous.

He told ambassador Federico Trillo that the UK Government would take ''whatever action we consider necessary'' to uphold British sovereignty and protect Gibraltar.

The summoning of Mr Trillo marks the fourth time the Spanish ambassador has been publicly called in to the Foreign Office in relation to Gibraltar since the current government in Madrid took office in December 2011.

The Rock has been a long-running cause of friction between London and Madrid, with Spain maintaining a long-standing challenge to Britain's sovereignty over the territory, which it has held since 1713.

Tensions flared again last summer after the Gibraltarians dropped concrete blocks into their waters in order, they said, to create an artificial reef - although the Spanish claimed the move was designed to disrupt their fishing boats.

Madrid retaliated by imposing strict border controls at the crossing between Spain and Gibraltar - a move denounced by Britain as politically-motivated - leading to long tailbacks.